Текст книги "Roped In"

Автор книги: L. P. Dover

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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 14 страниц)

Hadley

I was never good at playing games. I might be shy, but when I wanted something, I wouldn’t beat around the bush to get it. Why did Blake have to be so difficult? Once I was dressed, I glanced at myself in the mirror. My long, blonde hair was braided to the side and I had on a white sundress and cowgirl boots. It was strange because I didn’t see the same Hadley in the reflection. I saw a girl who wanted a different life and different things. The only problem was that it wasn’t possible.

“You will never be normal,” I said to my reflection. “You never have been.” Turning on my heel, I left my room and went straight to the kitchen. I held in my gasp the moment I spotted Blake. He sat at the bar, all cleaned up with a nice pair of jeans and a snug black T-shirt with his hair in messy spikes. No wonder all the ladies loved him; he was sex on a stick.

“I’m ready,” I announced.

His gaze lifted, then darkened as he took me in. “Ho-ly fuck. You’re going to get me kicked out tonight, princess.”

“Why?”

“Because every guy in the bar is going to try to put their dick in you.”

“Many have tried and all have failed. You have nothing to worry about. Are you ready to go?”

His eyes raked over my body again. “No, but it looks like I have to be. Just do me a favor and stay close.” He started for the door and grabbed one of the light-weight jackets off of the coat rack, slipping it over my shoulders as we walked out the door. “It’s supposed to be chilly tonight. Maybe you should keep this on.”

“Are you sure you’re not trying to cover me up?” I asked jokingly.

He chuckled. “Maybe.”

We stopped at the truck and he opened my door. Instead of getting in, I faced him. “Maybe you should be covering up. You’re the one all the women want around here.”

“Does that bother you?”

“Should it?” I countered.

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe one day you’ll let me know.” An awkward silence fell upon us. I had the perfect time to tell him how I felt, but didn’t take it. What the hell was wrong with me? It was the same problem I had with singing brand new songs; I couldn’t do it in front of an audience. I had to wait and see what the people thought once they heard it on the radio. It would’ve been so much easier if he’d just tell me how he felt.

Once I was in the truck, he shut the door and got in. When we arrived at the bar, there were people everywhere. Almost immediately, I found Tyla’s curly blonde head in the midst of a group of guys.

“There’s Tyla,” I called out. Taking my hand, Blake pulled us through the mass of people to get to her.

“What’s up, Evans,” one of the guys in the group shouted. “I see you got a new girl.” I recognized Mitch but the other three I hadn’t met.

Blake put his arm around me. “This is Anna, an old friend from back home. She’s here for a visit. Anna,” he said, pointing at the guys, “I’d like you to meet Liam, Michael, and Devon.” Liam was the tallest with brown hair and brown eyes. Mitch looked like a midget compared to him. Michael and Devon both had similar muscular builds, but Michael had whitish blond hair and a kind smile, while Devon was more of the dark and mysterious kind with his black hair and brooding eyes.

I smiled. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Want me to get you a drink?” Tyla whispered in my ear. “You look like you could use it.”

“Yes,” I pleaded. “Something with a little kick.”

“You got it.”

Blake pinched my ass when she walked off. “Need something with a little kick, huh?” He chuckled in my ear.

I wanted more than that, but I needed the alcohol to give me the courage to ask for it. I was such a chicken shit. The second Tyla handed me my drink, I guzzled it down. While the guys all talked, Tyla pulled me away and slipped me another drink; I tossed it back, my body feeling all warm and fuzzy. Blake glanced back at me and lifted his brows. I nodded to let him know I was all right.

“Sebastian should be here in a minute to ask you to dance. He said he would be here soon,” she whispered in my ear. “And just so you know, when you’re not looking, Blake’s watching you. It’s very . . . protective. Almost like a wolf watching his mate.”

I snorted. “Now that’s interesting. Watch a lot of the Discovery Channel?”

Her lips pulled back in a wolfish grin. “Something like that. But trust me, Blake’s feelings are there. I can sense them. I’ve always been a good matchmaker.”

We watched a bunch of people on the dance floor doing one of the many country line dances, but then the song changed and what came on next made me smile. It was one of my songs.

“Anna?”

I turned quickly. “Oh hey, Mitch.” Blake came up behind him, eyes blazing.

“Wanna dance?” Mitch asked, nodding toward the dance floor.

“Actually,” Blake held out his hand, “this is our song.”

Tyla elbowed me discreetly in the side, pushing me toward him.

I took Blake’s hand and smiled apologetically at Mitch. “Maybe next song?”

“Sure,” he said.

Blake twirled me around and pulled me into his arms. “There won’t be a next song. You’re wasted.”

“I am not. Two drinks are not going to get me drunk.” The room did spin a little more than usual, but it was probably because he just swung me around.

“Whatever you say, princess.” He laughed.

Smiling, I laid my head on his chest. It helped ground me. “I love it when you call me that.”

“Princess?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“It used to piss you off.”

I lifted my head. “I know, but now you say it differently. Why is that?”

His gaze moved to my lips, but then he shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me. Are you ready for me to leave?”

“No. Why would you think that?” His thumb brushed along my cheek and I shivered. I loved it when he touched me. It was a craving that would probably never be satisfied.

“Then why are you being so distant? No matter how much you say it didn’t, something changed after Robert’s call. I want to know what happened. It’s different between us.”

“That’s the thing . . . there is no us. It would never work out and you know it.”

Those words felt like a punch to the gut. “So you’re not even going to try? Would it make a difference to know I want this? That I want you. We could make it work.”

He shook his head. “Even if that’s what I wanted, we’d never see each other. You’re not the only one with something to lose. Besides, tomorrow you’re not going to remember saying any of this to me.” The tears started to build and I didn’t want him to see me cry. I tried to push past him, but he caught my arm. “Where are you going?”

“To the bathroom,” I snapped, jerking my arm away. I rushed away as fast as I could and disappeared behind closed doors.

Tyla barreled into the room. “What the hell happened?”

I flung my arms in the air. “He told me it would never work. He doesn’t want to try.”

She grabbed some paper towels and handed them to me. “He’s being an ass. Lots of people have long distance relationships. You just have to put in the effort.”

“I don’t think he’s willing to do that. Plus, he thinks I’m drunk and won’t remember anything I’m saying.”

Placing her hand on my shoulders, she squeezed and looked into my eyes. “Then you prove him wrong. Now dry your eyes and get back out there. Always keep your head high, no matter what anyone does to you.”

I nodded. “I’ll be out there in a minute.” Once she left, I dried my eyes and looked in the mirror. I can do this. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door, determined to find Blake and try again. I wasn’t going to give up.

A man stepped in my path and I ran into him. His hands came down on my shoulders, and I wriggled out of them in disgust when I smelled his liquor-reeking breath. He was tall and a little chubby in the midsection, with sandy brown hair and tattoos all up his arms.

“Hello, beautiful,” he said with a crooked smile.

“Sorry, just in a hurry to get back to my friends.”

“No worries. I thought I’d see if you were okay. I noticed you got upset back there with that assfucker.” He took a step forward and I had no choice but to step back. His hazel eyes stared at me as if I was prey; I didn’t like it.

“Yeah, well, he pissed me off. If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to find him so I can rip him a new one.”

“Why don’t I help you? I think it could be kind of fun.” At first, I thought he was Tyla’s friend, Sebastian, but there was no way she’d be involved with such a scumbag.

“No, thanks. I can handle my own battles.” I tried to slide past him, but he side-stepped me. “So help me, if you don’t let me by, I’ll spray you with my pepper spray and kick you in the balls. Your choice.” I was ready for a fight. Blake had pissed me off so much, I was floating on adrenaline and needed a way to release my anger. Unfortunately, I didn’t have pepper spray. It was actually just hair spray. It’d burn like a bitch though.

He burst out laughing. “Feisty. I love it. You wanna show me how wild you can get? Just ten minutes with me and you’ll never want to fuck anyone else.”

I reached into my purse and grabbed the spray. “And ten minutes with me will make you unable to fuck anyone ever again.” The second he took another step toward me, I jerked out my spray and let him have it. Shouting in pain, he covered his face, making the path from my foot to his crotch a clear shot. He fell to his knees when I kicked him squarely in the balls.

“You fucking cunt!” he growled, cupping his groin. He rolled back and forth on the ground, moaning in agony.

As I stepped over him, I said, “Maybe next time, you’ll make the right decision.”

Blake ran up to me, then saw the guy on the floor. “What the fuck is going on?”

The room started to spin. Blake grabbed my arm to steady me. “Dumbass over there wouldn’t let me by. He went on and on about fucking me, and some other stupid shit. I told him if he didn’t get out of my way, he’d pay the consequence. He didn’t listen.”

Eyes blazing, he pulled me out of the darkened corner and back to the bar where Tyla sat. When she saw us, she gasped and got to her feet. “What’s going on?”

Blake pushed me into a seat. “Keep her out of the way.”

“Damn, he’s pissed,” the guy beside Tyla said. He had sparkling blue eyes and whitish blond hair.

Tyla put a hand on his shoulder. “Anna, this is Sebastian. We were wondering where you ran off to.”

Before I could reply, all hell broke loose. Blake disappeared to the back and came out, dragging the guy across the floor by his neck.

Wide-eyed, Tyla sat back down. “Oh shit. Did Trent do something to you?”

“He said he wanted to fuck me and then I kicked him in the balls. I thought I handled it just fine.” Everyone stood back and watched as Blake kicked the front door open and pushed Trent outside. “What is he going to do?” I asked, knowing very well what was about to happen.

Sebastian finished his drink and stood. “He’s going to fuck him up. Around here, you don’t mess with another man’s girl.” He started for the door, pushing his way through the crowd.

“Where are you going?” Tyla shouted.

“To keep Evans from killing that worthless bastard.”

Everyone rushed outside, but I didn’t know if I wanted to see. Blake’s eyes had gotten so dark they almost looked inhuman. He was a dangerous man, a man who had killed people before. I was afraid to know what all he’d be capable of.

Blake

Singleton wiped the blood from his lip and laughed. “How does it feel to know I touched your girl? Serves you right for messing with mine.”

His hands on her was all I could fucking see in my mind. I poked my finger as hard as I could against his chest. “Touch her again and see what I do.” Turning on my heel, I walked away. I’d dragged him outside to kick his ass, but he wasn’t even worth it. I was about to walk inside the bar when he stopped me with his chuckle.

“That bitch would’ve loved it,” he chided. “I can just imagine, lifting that little dress of hers and fucking her raw. I think I’ll go for it next time, she doesn’t know how good she could have it.”

Everything inside me snapped. I wanted to be the bigger man and walk away, but I couldn’t. Instead, I tackled him to the ground, pounding my fists into his face. Blood spurt out of his nose, but it wasn’t enough. He needed to pay, to get it through his fucking head he was never going to touch her again.

“Evans, stop!” a voice yelled. Three pairs of hands pried me away. Tyla’s friend, Sebastian, let me go. “What the fuck? Are you trying to kill him?”

“No, but he’s going to wish I did.” Mitch, Liam, and Michael all kept a hold of my arms while Singleton laid on the ground, whimpering. I backed away willingly, allowing Trent’s friends to check on him.

“He’s okay,” Jacob shouted, helping Trent to his feet. He was one of Trent’s friends and the same size as me, but he didn’t dare intervene. It was because everyone knew Singleton was a fucking douche. Jacob helped Trent into the car and they sped away. As soon as they were gone, it was like nothing ever happened. Everyone went back into the bar, except my friends.

“At least you took it outside,” Mitch laughed.

The other guys laughed too, but it was no joking matter. I hated guys like Singleton. He was lucky I didn’t kill him. He needed to be taught a lesson.

Making my way inside, I barreled into the bathroom to wash up. Hadley didn’t need to see me all messed up. I hissed as the soap burned my busted skin, but I scrubbed my hands clean anyway. Closing my eyes, I splashed the cold water onto my face and leaned against the sink. My adrenaline was too high. All I could hear was the pounding of my pulse in my ear; until the door opened that was, and then I heard her voice.

“Are you okay?” I didn’t have to see her face to know she was pissed.

I glanced up at her reflection in the mirror, her arms were crossed, lips set in a firm line. “I’m fine. You ready to go?”

“Past ready.” Turning on her heel, she tore the door open and stalked out.

When I followed her out, Tyla stood just outside and patted my arm apologetically. “Good luck.”

I watched Hadley march to the front door. “Thanks. I’m gonna need it.”

We walked in silence to the truck, but I knew the lashing was about to commence. And sure enough, as soon as we were on the road back, she started full force.

“Was kicking his ass necessary? I had already handled the situation.”

“He was hoping you’d fuck him, Hadley. He targeted you on purpose.”

“Who cares? I wouldn’t let his dick get near my worst enemy. I was perfectly fine.”

“How do you know?” I shouted, turning a serious glare her way. “What if he pushed you into the bathroom and raped you? Do you think you would’ve been fine then? He said he would try you again. I had to make sure he wouldn’t.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. The rest of the ride home was silent, but it at least looked like she understood my reasoning, maybe. She was a female, so probably not, but I hoped for the best.

When we got back to the ranch, she went straight to the kitchen and pounded a glass of water. I sat down at the bar, but she had her back to me. “I didn’t want him touching you, Hadley. I was walking away from the fight and I lost my temper. Just hearing his threat of coming after you again threw me over the edge.”

Sighing, she placed the glass in the sink and slowly turned around. “I understand, Blake. I didn’t realize he had done that. Have you two always hated each other?”

“It’s complicated.”

She snorted. “Let me guess, it involves a girl?”

“Yeah, but it’s history.”

“I see,” she said, taking the seat across from me. Clasping her hands on the counter, she fiddled with her thumbs. “I’m not going to lie, seeing you so angry was a little frightening. It was like you were a different person.”

“I think we all are when we get angry. Sometimes it can fuel our strength.”

“Strong emotions can also lead to irrational decisions,” she added.

I looked into her bright blue eyes. “You’re right, they can.” Which was why I wanted to stay away from her. She wanted me, and I couldn’t let her know how deep my wanting was for her. It’d be a mistake to let her in. Pushing my chair back, I stood. “I’m going to take a shower and get some sleep. You might want to drink a little more water. It’ll help with the hangover in the morning.”

She rolled her eyes. “I told you, I’m not drunk. I had a buzz earlier, but it’s gone. I promise, I’m fine.”

I didn’t believe her for a second. “Goodnight, Hadley.”

“Goodnight.”

I wanted to kiss her so fucking bad, but I turned and marched out of the room. My dick was going to hate me once the mission was over. I’d walked away from Hadley several times and ended up with the worst case of blue balls. Why couldn’t I shut everything off and just fuck her and not think about her anymore?

Once in my room, I kicked the door shut and went straight to the shower. A couple of my knuckles were split open but they didn’t hurt anymore. It could’ve been the adrenaline talking. I took a long, hot shower until the aching feeling in my muscles surfaced. The room was full of steam and when I opened the door, it billowed out . . . that’s when something on my bed caught my attention.

“What are you doing?” I growled.

Hadley bit her lip and dropped the robe she had on. Fuck me. I couldn’t help but gaze down her body as she swayed up to me and pressed her tits against my chest. My dick responded instantly.

“I’m going to try this again, Blake. I want you, not just your body, but you. I’ve never felt this excited about anyone before. It has to mean something. You may say you don’t want me, but I think that’s a lie.” She reached between us and wrapped her hand around my cock. I could explode right there on her stomach, but I held it back. Goddamn, this woman was going to kill me.

“Stop.” Gritting my teeth, I grabbed her hand and pulled it away. I was either making the worst decision ever, or the best. It felt like the worst; especially when her eyes grew dark. “This isn’t the kind of decision you want to make when you’re drunk. I’m not going to lie, it’s evident I want you, you’re a beautiful woman, but being with me will only fuck you up. I can’t do that to you.”

Leaning up on her toes, she grasped my face and squeezed. “I’m not scared. Life is about risks. I want to take this risk with you.”

I shook my head. “But I don’t want to take it with you.” It was a lie and I wished I could take it back the moment I said it. The level of hurt on her face would be something I’d always remember.

Grabbing the robe, she threw it on and ran out of my room, tears already welling in her eyes. I was a fucking idiot, but I refused to fuck her while she was intoxicated. Tomorrow would come soon enough and I could tell her how I felt. However, I had the feeling it was going to be too late.

Hadley

Two Days Later

For two days, I’d intentionally ignored Blake. Sneaking into his room was the single most embarrassing thing I’d ever done and I’d regretted it ever since. True, it might not have been the best decision at the time, but I didn’t know what else to do.

Blake tried to talk to me on numerous occasions, but I pretended he wasn’t there. I knew it was childish, yet I’d rather not face him than have to deal with the emotions. Anger was easier than rejection.

Tyla had just left for the day which sucked because I wanted to talk to her. Unfortunately, she was around dumbass all day. I couldn’t talk to Felicity about it since she’d told me not to get attached. The last thing I wanted was to hear her bitch at me. On a brighter note, Nick seemed to be doing a lot better. I had that to lift my spirits.

A car door slammed and I rushed to the window. Blake had just gotten in his truck and started down the driveway. Breathing a sigh of relief, I rushed downstairs and found a note on the kitchen counter.

Gone to the store. When I come back, we’re going to talk. You need to listen to me, even if I have to tie you up.

~ Blake

Tie me up? I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. Hearing his voice was enough to drive me insane. It was like a shot through the heart each time he’d say my name. Talking to him was out of the question.

Taking a bottle of water, I guzzled it down and grabbed an apple. The weather was a little cool with the sun hiding behind the clouds, but it was perfect to be outside. Blake let Snowflake and the other horses out to pasture and it was always fun to watch them interact with each other. Snowflake always frolicked along like she was the only one out there, and Nightshade played it cool, hanging out by the stream. I climbed up on the fence and took a bite of my apple. Nightshade’s ears perked up and he trotted over to me.

“I see how it is. You only want to come when I have treats.” I laughed. He nudged me with his nose, his big round eyes trained on the apple. “Let me have one more bite and then you can have it.” I leaned toward his ear and whispered, “Just don’t tell Snowflake. She’ll be angry.”

Holding the apple on my palm, he opened his mouth and grabbed it with his teeth. “You’re such a good horse. Why can’t your owner be as sweet as you?”

The sound of crunching gravel caught my attention. I turned to the driveway. “Dammit! He’s back already?” Shit, shit, shit. I patted Nightshade’s nose and hopped off the fence. “I gotta go, boy. I’ll give you another apple tomorrow.” By the time I got to the barn and peeked around the corner, Blake had already parked his truck in front of the house. I was hoping like hell he didn’t see me.

“Hadley, I know you’re out there,” he called. He took off his T-shirt and crammed it into his back pocket.

“Dammit,” I hissed, crouching down low.

“Don’t you think it’s time we talked? You can’t hide from me forever.” His footsteps grew closer, so I hid inside one of the empty stalls, hoping he’d walk past. I slid down into the corner and held my breath as he walked by. “I want to say I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings the other night.”

“Just drive the wedge in even harder, asshole,” I mumbled to myself.

“I need you to come out and talk to me. I can make you if I have to, which might be kind of fun for me. You don’t want me to enjoy this, do you?”

What I really wanted to do was smack him on the head. He was baiting me, but I couldn’t figure out the game.

“Hadley?” His voice grew farther away until I heard his footsteps leave the barn. Once I heard the patio door of the house slam shut, I knew I only had a couple of minutes to get out of the barn. Taking a deep breath, I slowly got to my feet and glanced over the stall; the coast was clear. I had no clue where I was going to go, but anything was better than being stuck in a stall.

The wooden door of the stall creaked and I froze. Fuck. I held my breath and listened, but there were no footsteps approaching. As quietly as I could, I tiptoed my way to the back entrance of the barn and turned the corner, only to run right into Mr. Let’s Talk. He reached for my hand, but I jerked away from him.

“You didn’t think you fooled me back there, did you?”

“Fuck you,” I spat, turning on my heel. I marched off but he followed close behind. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“Well, too bad. I have a shit-ton to say to you. Now stop being a childish brat and give me one minute.”

Sucking in a breath, I froze. Did he really just call me a childish brat? Gritting my teeth, I faced him head on. I half expected him to smirk, but there was nothing but seriousness in his stormy gray gaze.

“All right, this ends now,” I snapped, pushing on his chest. He stepped back, his jaw clenched tight. “You may think what I’ve done is childish, but I’m pissed and embarrassed. I show up naked in your room, just to have you turn me down; to tell me you wouldn’t want to take a chance on me. I may have had a little buzz at the beginning of the night, but I was nowhere near drunk. It was the only thing that gave me the courage to tell you how I felt.”

Huffing, I turned and marched out of the barn. “Now I just feel like a fucking idiot. So, by all means, make me sit down and hear all the reasons why you don’t want to be with me. Go ahead and call me childish. I don’t care anymore,” I said, waving my arms in the air. “At least I wasn’t afraid to let you in.”

My heart thundered in my chest. It felt good to scream out my feelings, but now they were no longer mine. Anger could make a person say just about anything.

Out of nowhere, a rope lassoed around my body. I screamed when it bit into my skin, burning as Blake tightened it, roping me in. I struggled to break free, but it was so tight, even my hands started to tingle. I tried to stand my ground, but the harder he pulled, the tighter it got.

“Dammit, Blake. Let me go! I can’t feel my hands.” I had no choice but to willingly move my feet. If I didn’t, he’d drag me across the ground through the dirt. My dignity was more important.

“You shouldn’t have walked away,” he growled, his voice by my ear. He jerked me around and pushed me into one of the empty stalls. I turned my face away, but he grabbed my chin. “I don’t think so, princess. You’re going to look at me when I say this. Do you want me to tie your hands and feet together too?”

I had no doubt he’d do it. “Fine,” I spat, lifting my glare to his. “What do you want?”

His lips closed over mine, hard and raw as he forced his tongue inside. I tried to fight him off, but it was a half-assed attempt. Who was I kidding? I didn’t want him to stop. Not to mention, I couldn’t move. I was at his mercy, and I liked it. He pushed me into the wall, rubbing his arousal against me. Moaning, I bit his lip and he pulled away.

“You,” he growled, leaning his forehead to mine. “I’ve always wanted you, even when you thought I didn’t.” He loosened the rope and pulled me into his arms, kissing me again.

My fingers tingled from the blood rushing to them, but I was able to get his jeans unbuttoned. I didn’t want to wait any longer. His cock jumped when I ran my hand down it, massaging him.

Blake grasped my lip between his teeth and groaned. “I’m sorry for what I said. It was lies, all of it. I never meant—”

“Shut up,” I said. There would be time for words later. “Just shut up and help me out of this shirt.”

His eyes sparked, then he lifted my shirt and unclasped my bra, freeing my aching breasts. I gasped when he closed his lips over my nipple, sucking it between his teeth. I grabbed onto his shoulders and everything inside of me tightened. I wrapped my legs around his waist and worked myself over his erection.

“Ah fuck,” Blake moaned. He unlatched my legs and kept his gaze on mine as he unbuttoned my jeans and slid them to the ground. I stepped out of them and he slid his fingers between my legs. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as he pushed one inside, then another.

He pulled them out and stared at me when he put them in his mouth. The level of raw intensity in his gaze made me tremble. I’d never had anyone look at me like that before. Lifting me in his arms, I wrapped my legs around his waist and he walked us over to a pile of hay bales and gently laid me down. My breaths came out quick, my heart thumping in my chest. The anticipation was torture.

Blake brushed the hair away from my face, his arousal aligning with my opening. When he pushed himself inside, I cried out and dug my nails into his back, relishing the feel of him stretching me wide. His thrusts grew hard and fast. I was so close to the edge, I was about to explode.

He trailed his lips to my neck and bit down, his fingers digging in to my hips. “You feel so fucking good.”

I rocked my hips against his and cried out as my release exploded through every nerve in my body. Blake followed closely behind, grunting as his cock pulsated inside me. My whole body trembled and I ached for more.

Still connected, he rested on his elbows and gazed down at me. “You okay, princess? At first, I thought maybe I hurt you.”

I shook my head. “It was a good hurt. It’s been a while since I’ve been with someone.”

“Look, I’m sorry for everything I said the other day. I knew that if I had one taste of you, it wouldn’t be enough. Letting you go won’t be easy.”

I grasped his face and kissed him. “You don’t have to. I’m right here.”

“But for how long?”

“As long as you want me to be.” He didn’t look convinced, but I didn’t want to hash out the details while I was still enjoying the post-sex glow. “Hey, at least now I know what it’s like to roll around in the hay. It’ll be perfect for my song.”

His lips spread wide. “Are you writing it about me?”

I shrugged. “Maybe. You’ll just have to find out when you hear it on the radio.”

“How are you going to write your music? You don’t have your guitar.”

He had a point. Mine was still at the house I never wanted to go back to. “I’ll figure it out.”

He winked and slowly pulled out of me. “I got you covered, princess,” he said, getting to his feet. Slipping on his jeans, he handed me the T-shirt he had stuffed in his back pocket. “You might need this.”

“Hello? Blake, you in there?” Tyla called out.

“Shit,” he hissed. Grabbing my shirt and bra, he tossed them to me and rushed out of the stall. I quickly wiped off with his shirt and threw my clothes on while he distracted her. The rake was just outside the stall so I fetched it and pretended to work.

“Hey girl, what’s up?” Tyla said. I turned and smiled at her, knowing my cheeks were bright red. Blake walked by and winked before disappearing out the other side of the barn.

I wiped my brow on the bottom of my T-shirt and realized it was on the wrong way. “Not much, just helping Blake clean these stalls,” I said.

She snorted. “Uh-huh. I bet you were. You might want to tell that lie to someone who believes you. I can tell when a girl’s been thoroughly fucked.” She pointed at my clothes. “Your shirt’s on wrong and you have hay all up in your hair. All I can say is, it’s about damn time.”

Laughing, I said, “Don’t I know it.”

“What are you doing?” Blake asked, taking a seat beside me. He glanced down at the papers in my lap and leaned over.

“Hey!” I shrieked, covering them with my hand. “No peeking. It’s a new song. I can’t let anyone see it until after it’s done.” After the day I’d had with Blake, and riding with Tyla, I had never felt more inspired to write.

“Will you sing it for me?”